It Runs in The Family
by gaybaconprincess
Summary: A need for Jericho to have better parents, a sexually retarded idiot, and one college student WAY too tired for any of this family's shit created this. Your welcome.
1. The Fourth Wall

[I do not own Teen Titans or any characters mentioned in this story. gUESS WHO'S BACK. IT'S ME. SO I've been gone so long because my laptop's been acting up, but I have it fixed and now have inspiration for another fic! Please don't kill me, if anything, kill my terrible (read: lovely and wonderful) girlfriend for fueling this fire. This consisted of...more of a need for Jericho to have actual family. I've had this headcanon for a while, hope you enjoy it. I'm planning on making this a full length fic.]

Jericho groaned, rubbing his burning eyes with the rough texture of his hands, calloused and bruised from recent weeks spent alone in the streets, bones and joints creaking in the effort and crying out for just a little while longer. He didn't have a little while longer. It didn't take Joseph much time to realize that he was very much not in a familiar place. Instead of waking up under a bridge of some sort, he was in a warm and cozy bedroom, light blue blankets spread over him and newly bought clothes fitting him better than his uniform.

A bright light was coming from the fan above him, blinding his eyes until he finally brought a hand to rub at his head and attempt to soothe the ache forming. Stretching his arms and cracking his back, the blonde ex-titan finally looked around the room some before sighing. So, someone had kidnapped him. There could be worse things. He stood up on his still wobbly legs, shaky and untrustful from so long without proper sleep, only to fall forward. Joey started wondering for a moment if his kidnapper had perhaps drugged him somehow as he found himself lying face first on the floor and accepting his fate instead of standing right back up like he should've been able to.

How long had it been since he'd slept? _Really_ slept? For three months now he'd been roaming the streets, attempting to become a solo hero and only succeeding in tearing himself apart. Jericho sighed, closing his eyes and thinking back on the shitstorm he'd been through in the past three months. When Jericho had joined the Titans, he was the happiest he'd been in so, so long. He had so many friends to fill the silence for him then. Even the intimidating boy wonder had become one of Jericho's most trusted friends in a span of only a few weeks.

Because Jericho had trusted Robin so much, he told him of everything, his first mistake. Robin tossed their friendship aside the minute he'd learned of a connection between Jericho and Slade. He didn't even listen long enough to hear that it was Slade's fault Jericho had been rendered mute. Robin almost immediately ordered Jericho to pack his things and leave the tower, not even giving Jericho enough time to say goodbye to the friends he'd thought he'd finally made. Jericho was furious, to say the least. He spent all of his adrenaline on fighting as much crime as he could possibly find, which, to be honest, wasn't much. He was only one sixteen year old boy angrily combing the city for any thugs to take his anger out on. At first he was at least somewhat successful.

But as time passed, he had nowhere to sleep, no food to eat, no place to bathe. All he focused on was pushing himself further, on proving to Robin, to _everyone_ , that he was Slade's son, but Slade was the furthest thing from a father you could come. Most times he'd go four to five days without sleep, pushing himself all the way until he passed out somewhere for a few hours, only to repeat the cycle. It was unhealthy, he knew, but he couldn't think of anything except for the deep betrayal he'd felt from his 'friend'.

And now he was here. In a house covered in fast food wrappers and terribly colored walls, and probably being drugged or sold by a kidnapper. Jericho sighed dramatically, and had he a voice, he would've let out an extremely over dramatic sigh. He knew he needed to get up, at least _attempt_ to escape. He was just so tired. The floor was considerably comfortable considering he'd been sleeping on sidewalks for three months. And suddenly, the joyous silence that had almost lulled Jericho to sleep was rudely interrupted by a voice he thought he'd never hear again.

"And how's my favorite transvestite doing this fine morning?" Came a very familiar and equally annoying voice from where the doorframe of the room was. Jericho didn't even look up. He knew who it was. Suddenly, he _did_ fear being kidnapped.

Jericho lifted his head half a centimeter above the wood floor being banging it downward out of frustration.

"Oh come on," came the voice of a previously assumed dead family member that walked over with his bunny slippers and picked him up by the shoulders as if he were a ragdoll, forcing Jericho to look him in the probably also drugged eyes.

"That's _no_ way to greet your favorite uncle!" The scarred faced and infamous Deadpool said with an ever gleeful smile.

With some more creaks of his arm and a sigh of frustration at his uncle for making him move them, Joey finally managed to sign something out.

 **You're my** _ **only**_ **uncle, Wade.**

Wade rolled his eyes, glad to see that despite Joey's recent troubles, he sure as hell didn't lose his sass _or_ his sense of humor. Something that apparently ran in the family.

"Come on, let's get you back in bed owl-eyes." Wade said quieter, trying his hardest to lull his nephew back to sleep, seeing that the poor boy obviously needed it.

After some struggle with Jericho's stiff limbs, Wade finally managed to get the stickish boy into the bed, feeling a bout of pity for him as the boy nearly sunk down into the warm bed once again.

 **What am I doing here, Wade?** Jericho signed with tired, drooping eyes and yet a still present expression that reminded Wade _way_ too much of his brother after a long day of dealing with family.

"Well...I noticed how...down...you've been getting with your hero-ing and such." Wade offered, attempting to ease into his explanation slow.

Jericho immediately sat straight up, a glare present as he signed more.

 **How did you know about what I've been doing? Slade thought you were dead! I thought you were dead! Where have you been for the past twelve years?**

Wade pulled in a large breath before nodding and accepting to having to explain everything.

"Well...do you know what the fourth wall is?" Wade asked. A skeptical shake of blonde head in return, of course.

"Okay well, it means I can see and do things that not alot of other people can. It's kinda hard to explain but- Joseph Wilson you stop signing that I'm crazy! I'm not- I mean-" Wade began, only to groan in frustration as he recalled the feeling of an attempt at explaining this to Slade at one point.

"Okay, listen. There are two separate dimensions where humans reside like actual humans. One, the dimension with your dad and your sister and the titans, is called DC Nation. The other is where we are right now, called Marvel. No one really knows about them but me." Wade explained, completely ignoring the bewildered and kind of amused look Joey was giving him.

"I know because in each dimension, comic books are a pretty popular form of media, yeah?" Wade asked, receiving a nod of Joey's head in return.

"Well," Wade began with a smirk, "What if I told you I crossed paths with The Ghost Rider and lived to tell about it?" Wade finished, noticing the gleam in Joey's eyes and distantly remembering the lumbering towers of comic books Joey read as a child.

"All those heroes and villains you read as a kid? They live here. I met Iron Man a few years ago, pretty stuck up guy, but pretty cool. I met another guy named Thor, pretty weird, but his dumb hair kinda reminds me of you." Wade said teasingly as he ruffled Joey's hair and finally managed a smile out of the boy.

"Anyway, the same way you read comic books about the people here, we read comic books about you. There's an entire line of comics dedicated to the Teen Titans, crazy huh?" Wade said, pulling out a book from under the lamp next to Joey's bed and handing it to him, watching Joey's eyes go wide as he saw a large picture of Raven, Robin, Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Starfire all aiming at a very angry looking Terra, decked out in Wilson apprentice uniform.

Maybe crazy ran in the family, but Joey was just near believing Wade.

"I know it's a lot to take in. The reason I left and never really came back is because here, I was able to make a name for myself without being 'Deathstroke's dumb twin brother', y'know? Here, I can do what I want, when I want, and no one can stop me. I'm a hero, Joey! I mean...kinda. I-It's a work in progress." Wade finished, eyeing Joey as he finally accepted everything, looking more than a little overwhelmed.

"Hey, chin up, kid. Everything's gonna be okay. I brought you here so you wouldn't have to worry about everything back home. I'm not gonna force you into it, but I was planning on asking you to stay with me here." Wade said, laying a comforting hand on Joey's frail shoulder, not noticing the hopeful gleam in Joey's eyes.

"I know how bad things are at home, I've been watching over you. I suppose someone has to. I know I should've been there for you more- what with your psycho dad and your missing mother and your-" Wade never got to finish his sentence because a blonde fluff of hair was already hugging him tight around the neck and shakily signing 'thank you, thank you' over and over again hysterically.

"Oh wow, how long's it been since you hugged me? I remember when you used to slap me away for even touching your hair." Wade joked, already attempting to get Joey to lean back into the bed.

With some resistance, Joey finally fell back and limp against the warm pillow and the large comforter.

"Get some sleep, alright? You need it Golden Boy. You've been running around rampant and completely beating yourself to death-" Wade said as Joey already closed his eyes and rolled over to get comfortable. He quietly recollected that Wade was beginning to sound too much like his mother did once.

"...just...let yourself heal, and then we'll sort things out, I promise." Wade said, mostly to himself, as he pet Joey's hair again. The larger man snickered as Joey sleepily slapped his hand away from his still dirty hair and cuddled himself deeper into the blankets that he enjoyed so much.

He barely heard Wade leave the room or close the door, but he was also too tired to care. He was fearful - Joey was so worried that he'd wake up back on the streets. But for now, he was too tired to care about that either. He was in a warm bed, with a family member that wasn't out to use him for his powers or mesh him into a cult like family circle.

It'd been so long since Jericho slept, _really_ slept. Lately he just passed out on the ground, no dreams, no nightmares, just the blank vastness of a black pit that was swallowing him up from the inside out.

Jericho let out one more sigh before finally dreaming of a life away from his own.

[You're welcome. I know, this is very weird. I've been getting into Marvel more lately and I also LOVE the idea of cross dimensions and comic books and yada yada. Also, don't ask me for more details on how Wade works, it's Wilson logic. Same reason Jericho just MAGICALLY remembered that he had healing powers when it was necessary to the plot in the comics and regrew his eyeballs. Read and Review please!]


	2. New York

[I do not own Teen Titans or any characters mentioned in this story. Have fun with this. I'm off of school tomorrow, so I'll probably post a few more chapters, I might post another chapter tonight. I'm having a lot of fun writing this! Wade is really fun to write for. Anyway, enjoy.]

Joey forced himself awake, knowing he'd slept much too long by now. He'd slept at least until the next morning, give or take 24 hours. He stretched above his head, forcing himself to toss the warm blankets off of himself and trod slowly and clumsily through the doorway of the room.

After sleepily managing his way through the door, Joey (almost drunkenly) leaned against the doorway and peered down the new house. The entire house was painted and kept in just as ugly a condition as the room he'd just come from, all bright pastels and chimichanga wrappers that no doubt came from his messy uncle. There was a hallway leading from the room Jericho was in and into the living room, with two doors on either side of it. After the hallway ended there was a medium sized living room and a smaller kitchen, finally ending in another hallway which led to another room with a shut door.

Before he could ponder this much longer, Jericho was easily distracted by the smell of food and by the sound of pots banging together.

 _Actual_ food. Not street food, not greasy fast food, real, _cooked_ food.

Jericho rubbed his eyes some more and let out a yawn as he finally made his way into the kitchen, climbing his way up a stool sat at the bar of the counter and leaning his head on one hand, fighting to wake himself up after such a long sleep.

"Good morning sleeping beauty. For a while there I thought you might've just slept yourself into a coma." Wade commented as he continued clanging pots and pans with his back turned to Joey.

Wade turned for a moment sighing as he saw Jericho was _already_ asleep again, uncomfortable in his position leaned against his hand but still, asleep.

"I made your favorite. Blueberry pancakes." Wade sang in a louder voice.

Jericho's eyes immediately snapped open, and he was wide awake at the thought of uncle Wade's famous blueberry pancakes.

Wade laughed when the poor kid nearly drooled at a stack of six or seven pancakes that was placed in front of him, barely giving Wade enough time to slide some chocolate syrup towards him before Jericho was tearing into the food like a wild animal.

"Geez, how long has it been since you've- ah...nevermind, stupid question." Wade said, shutting himself down immediately as he realized Jericho wasn't even listening to him.

"Hey, when you're done tearing your food to shreds like it robbed your mother, how about we go explore the city some? If you're gonna stay here, you should at least know how the city works. Besides, there's someone that wants to meet you pretty soon, and it's not healthy for you to stay locked up in the house. It's also not financially wise, on my part." Wade said offhandedly before he ventured into the back room and came back with a coat in hand.

"Holy- would you slow down?" Wade exclaimed as he rushed over and snatched Jericho's _third_ soda can out of his hand. Apparently, in the fifteen minutes he'd been gone, Joey had somehow managed to find where Wade kept the sodas, chocolate, _and_ leftover pizza. Wade had to remind himself again that Joey hadn't eaten real food in a long time, and that it wasn't abnormal to be this hungry for him.

* * *

"Pretty great, huh?" Wade asked Joey as he finally closed the apartment door behind him and led Joey out into the chilly fall air of New York. Joey gave him a more than unimpressed side eyed glance before attempting to force a smile.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. It's not Canada, I'll tell you that. But it does have its perks." Wade said with a smile, grumbling about how _here_ the government officials couldn't track him where Joey could only barely here.

"So, what do you wanna see first? We've got a park pretty close to here, there are some _great_ chimichanga stands on the way there too. What do you say-" Wade began happily before his voice caught in his throat. Jericho wasn't listening, he was staring much too ominously at a small family. A man, a woman, and a small child were playing in the leaves across the street. Jericho couldn't seem to hear anything, everything was a blur, he was drowning in the air around him, what was happening, where was he, why-

"JOEY!" Wade yelled as Jericho snapped around at him with wide eyes and heaving breaths.

"...What was that? Are you okay?" Wade asked in a genuinely concerned voice. Jericho looked caught in a nightmare in broad daylight. He was visibly shaking, and Wade had to shake his shoulders with vigorous strength to get him to wake up from it.

This had been happening a lot lately - too much for it to be healthy. He'd freeze up when anything at all reminded him of his family or his voice or the accident and it'd take a near death experience to wake him up most times.

Jericho stiffly moved his arms, as if they weren't his.

 **I'm fine.**

Wade didn't look convinced.

 **You said something about good chimichangas?**

"Good? HA! That is an understatement, my young and naive nephew." Wade said, already back to his rambling.

* * *

By noon, Wade and Joey had explored most his half of New York, Wade showing off as Joey gave a silent chuckle when certain thugs or startled passerby would scatter away from Wade - either from recognition of his voice or by the pure surprise and disgust that came with seeing his face.

Jericho had seen a lot. They'd stopped at plenty of hot dog stands, found an art exhibit that was hidden away in an alley, and were now sitting on the swings in a very chilly park. Wade showed Joey to the Avenger's building as well, though Wade had explained how he'd been kicked out a few months back.

 **Why do you keep avoiding the college?** Jericho asked, stuffing his face with hot dog and trying not to mess his hands up while he signed.

He could visibly see Wade sweating. If it was possible to sweat loudly, Wade was doing so.

"I don't know what you're talking about, kid. Uh - why don't we go back to that exhib-"

Wade was interrupted by a glare and a weak punch in the arm by his nephew.

"...It's grown up stuff."

Jericho gave the sassiest, non believing glare Wade had ever seen.

 **I'm 16.**

"Look it's just- I don't know if you're ready- It's important we don't-" Wade spluttered, searching desperately for some answer that wouldn't set Joey off on him, and, possibly, the entirety of The Avengers.

"Wade Wilson." came a near condescending and equally ominous voice from the shadows.

Jericho immediately forgot all about his previous inquiry with his uncle in favor for jumping straight into a defensive position, way too wary of dark, ominous voices emitting from shadows at this point in his life.

"Please," came the voice, softer now. A bald man with kind eyes started slowly rolling toward them both in a wheelchair. "I mean you no harm, Joseph."

Joseph could just barely make out Wade sighing next to him, thankful for the convenient step in so he wouldn't have to explain what Joey was eventually going to _make_ him explain.

"Wade was right, you _have_ grown." The man commented before he started eerily circling around Joey in his dumb wheelchair, making Jericho more than uncomfortable in the spotlight.

"You're small for someone your age, but you're obviously very strong. Skilled in hand to hand combat as well, I see. I suppose that's something alright to gain from your father." He continued.

"Though I must admit," The man said with an amused smile and his still kind eyes, now in front of Jericho and reaching to touch his golden bangs. "It is a surprise to see such...brilliant hair from a descendant of Slade Wilson."

The man's hand was quickly smacked away by a still vigilant and untrusting Jericho, glaring at him and not daring to blink.

"I understand your negligence to trust me immediately, Joseph." The man chuckled.

"I hope to gain your trust over time. I can help you, show you others here who are like you. A bit lost, a bit weary, but more than anything, welcome. I am the man that Wade hopefully spoke to you about, the one asking to meet you? My name is Charles Xavier, but you may know me as Professor X." Charles said with a patient smile. No change whatsoever in Joseph's expression, not even a blink.

"Yeah, sorry, I don't think he read The X-Men comics as a kid." Wade apologized with a smart mouth as per normal.

"Yes, well, I believe I'll leave you two to finish your conversation." Charles said with a knowing smirk to a now panicking Wade, who was vigorously waving his hands back and forth for Xavier not to do what Wade knew he was about to do.

"I believe you were on the topic of Mr. Wilson's boyfriend?" Charles offered with mock boredom, already wheeling away.

 **HIS WHAT?** Joseph attempted to sign, only for Xavier to once again disappear into the shadows.

 **YOUR WHAT?** Joey signed angrily as he whipped around at his uncle, who was now loudly gulping and shaking in the shoulders.

"Ah ha ha ha...surprise…?" Wade offered with a weak smile.

[let's play 'guess the gay'. In other news I love Wade so much for being so patient with Joey? Read and Review please!]


	3. Parker

[I do not own Teen Titans or any characters mentioned in this story. Have fun with angry smol Joey.]

Deadpool had a boyfriend.

THE Deadpool had a boyfriend. As in, the unlayable, ungodly on the eyes Deadpool. The same Deadpool who'd vowed years ago never to fall in love again. The same Deadpool who'd taken Joey in, by what Joey thought, because he was alone and sad in the world with no family left to love.

But he was also the same Wade Wilson that Joey was _not_ going to let go without a fight.

Joey's uncle Wade had been, really, the only happy thing in his life growing up. Of course, neither Grant nor Joey saw their uncle very much due to incessant fighting between him and their father, but they loved him all the same. He would always tell Joey and Grant tall tale stories of his life as a considerably happier mercenary. He'd always been the one to check on Joey first when he was crying. He'd been the only person in Joey's life that showed him compassion and love and patience for a very long time.

Joey knew he was being petty about this, but he also didn't care. Wade was the only person he had left, and he wasn't about to let some 'boyfriend' take him away again.

There was a small, annoying voice in the back of Joey's head that told him that he was being absolutely ridiculous, and that Wade was a full grown man, and that he'd always make time for Joey, but Joey, ultimately, ignored it with force.

* * *

 **So,** Joey began, glaring numbly at the TV as he finally got Wade's attention away from Looney Tunes.

 **What's his name?**

"I'm sorry, who?" Wade asked innocently. He was sadly unawares of all the horrid scenarios flashing through Joey's mind, already plotting on how to shove this boyfriend completely out of the picture.

 **Your boyfriend.** Joey signed stiffly, gritting his teeth together where Wade couldn't see.

"Oh. His name's Peter. Peter Parker. Ha, kinda like the rhyme. You know- Peter picked a pick a…" Wade's voice slowed down and stopped like a broken CD track as he saw that Joey was far from amused, and was now picking angrily at his nails.

"I get the feeling that you don't like him too much?" Wade offered, wisely scooting a few inches away from Jericho.

 **What's he even like?** Jericho signed after a bout of silence.

"...Well, he's...different. He's kind of a nerd, but in a nice way. He's also the only person capable of keeping me in check when I go off and do something crazy." Wade said as he stared up at the ceiling. Wade turned to Jericho with a smile.

"Y'know, he kind of reminds me of you."

Jericho glared at Wade as if the man had personally offended him, huffing some and crossing his arms, pouting like a child until Wade's dumb show was over and he got the TV remote back.

* * *

Jericho had gone a bit overboard, he admitted at least much to himself. He didn't care though. Wade was his favorite family member and he had the right to be overprotective.

So far he'd learned that 'Peter' was a college student in New York and that also had a job at The Daily Bugle as a photographer. The apartment Wade and Joey had been staying in was actually Peter's, and he was the more responsible of the two.

Jericho didn't like him, not one bit did he like him - despite having never actually met or seen him.

"You know," Wade began, interrupting Joey's brooding and plotting to get rid of Peter as he glared down at the street below the window, "I figured you would at least try to get along with him. I mean, you guys probably have more to talk about than me, you're both heroes and all."

Jericho's eyes went wide and his back went stiff.

Okay, so _maybe_ just threatening to beat Parker up wasn't going to make him leave.

[Short, sorry. Mainly filler, just wanted to get the idea across that Joey does not approve of this new development. Also, in this, Peter is around 22-23, he's not a teenager like in "'"'"'"Canon""""""". And as you can see, /vigorously jazz hands at my other fanfics/ I don't really take canon seriously anyway. Read and Review please!]


	4. Fragile

[I do not own Teen Titans or any characters mentioned in this story. Welp. I told myself this chapter would be funny.]

Jericho woke up on the creaky bed he normally woke up in, in the same room that Wade and he had silently agreed would be his bedroom. Jericho didn't want to wake up, really, but curse whoever was tapping that _goddamn_ pen in the kitchen. Maybe it was superhero instincts or strict military training as a child, but he _knew_ it was a pen making the infernal _tip, tip, tip_ noise in what he _knew_ was the kitchen.

It took Jericho about twenty minutes of getting back into a dreamless almost-sleep and then waking up again due to the stupid pen in the kitchen before he reluctantly and dramatically sighed, condemned to waking up fully.

Jericho glared at nothingness as he stretched himself awake and leaned back on his arms, looking around at all of the things that filled the room compared to before.

Now Jericho had scattered pictures of his friends all around his room and hung up, making it so that you could barely see the dull, obnoxious baby blue color of the cracking wallpaper. In the past three days he'd been with Wade he'd managed to make a collection of basic furniture - a bedside table with a lava lamp on it, a desk covered in half finished sketches of the friends he missed and the family he wouldn't, a busted up radio Wade had given him that sat lonely on the desk next to a large pile of assorted rock artists - the basic necessities, according to Joey.

Joey smiled a small, comfortable smile that was mentally followed by a content hum before he finally forced himself out of his bed and into (somewhat) decent clothes.

With a white tank top and Wade's very much not fitting sweatpants on - all paired with a dirty look to cripple a soldier and a very pissed attitude toward whoever was _still_ tapping the pen - Joey trudged his way through the hallway and toward the joint living room and kitchen just as clumsily as the first time he woke up in the apartment.

Upon investigation, Joey found...a loser.

A loser who was hunched over what looked like dozens of college level notes and was still tapping the stupid pen.

It was probably one of Wade's dumb friends that he kept saying Parker introduced him to. He looked nerdy enough at least. Despite being this super cool, always looked up to, amazing badass in Joey's childhood, it turns out Wade was a barely functional loser of an adult in reality.

Just to be safe, Joey continued to observe the stranger in Wade's kitchen before making his presence known.

He was short, not as short as Joey himself was, but still pretty short compared to Wade. He was also just a small bit skinnier and leaner than Wade was. Joey's assumption of him being a college student proved to be right, because even from where Joey was hidden behind a corner he could see the stress and lack of sleep in the man's dull blue eyes. He was a brunette with unhealthily pale skin, free of blemishes, and Joey couldn't really pinpoint any scars or especially weak points on him.

Finally, the pen started to get in the way of Joey's ability to simply think, and Joey was getting very ready to break it in half.

"Ow!" yelled the stressed student louder than necessary as he was ripped from his paperwork by a warning punch to his shoulder.

"Geez, what was that for?" Peter hissed as he rolled his shoulder around some, surprised at the strength coming from such a small stranger.

Jericho pointed at his pen and angrily glared at him, and he was pretty sure the blonde boy wanted to outwardly hiss to get his point across.

"Oh..uh, sorry? But why are you in my…? Wait a second!" He said before giving an already walking away Jericho a quick look over. Short stature - barely tall enough to reach the bowl in the cabinet, though he somehow did anyway - blonde, unruly hair that seemed to glow from the light coming through the window, and a sleepy scowl that Peter was sure he'd seen before in a family picture of Wade's somewhere.

"You're Jeri-...Joey, right? Joey Wilson, Wade's nephew?" Peter asked with an excited smile on his face, buzzing with energy from _finally_ being able to meet the legendary nephew that Wade wouldn't shut up about for the world.

Joey numbly nodded, not even looking up at Peter as he sleepily and grumpily poured a bowl of cereal, continuing to remain unfazed even the smallest bit by the excitement in Peter's voice. The only way Peter could be sure Joey answered him was the over dramatic sway of his yellow hair as he nodded.

Peter thought back for a moment to all of the things Wade had told him about Joey last night while they were lying in bed, Joey having fallen out on his bed at around eight from exhaustion after a long day of arguing with Wade about someone Joey kept calling 'The Uncle Stealer'.

Peter huffed a little in amusement under his breath as he watched Joey trudge over to the seat next to Peter and swipe away some of his papers, setting his cereal down on the counter. Suddenly all of the things Wade had told him became that much funnier to him. Joey didn't look fit enough, or even tall enough, to be a superhero - and yet the image of this barely five foot two boy flipping off Slade Joseph Wilson was stuck in his head, making Peter giggle a bit, not noticing the confused glare Joey was sporting.

Peter attempted to continue his work, but he could feel Joey glaring at his paper and giving him a very judging look. Peter's pencil was practically shaking in his hand as he wrote down an answer on a piece of paper in front of him, only to be oh so rudely interrupted when Joey smiled a snake of a smile.

 **You just did that entire worksheet wrong.** The boy next to him signed.

Right, Wade had also mentioned that Joey was mute.

Wade had failed to mention that his nephew was also a bit (a lot) of a smartass.

"Oh? Well, why don't you tell me what I did wrong then? Hm? Oh right, you can't, you're not in college." Peter shot back childishly as he huffily began erasing all the problems he'd completed.

Joey dramatically (Peter was noticing Joey did a lot of things dramatically. Maybe it was because he needed to exaggerate things to get them across due to being mute, but Peter was pretty sure it was just because Joey seemed like a very over dramatic person) rolled his neon eyes, sighing and making grabby hands with one hand toward Peter's work.

 **C'mon, gimme. I can promise I can finish it the right way and twice as fast as you could.** Joey signed with confidence exuding from him in waves before he continued to snatch the paper out of Peter's hands.

Peter waited patiently for Joey to actually do the work, only for the blonde boy to freeze up. The paper in his hands was shaking along with his bottom lip - he looked like he was stuck in between spontaneously combusting and breaking into a hysterical fit of sobbing. Peter didn't care to watch and find out which he'd choose.

"Joey? Joey? Are you alright?" Peter said, shaking the small boy's shoulder some.

Joey angrily slapped at Peter's hand hard enough to make it red, glaring hatefully at Peter with glassy eyes. Peter didn't know how, but he could tell Joseph was holding back tears.

 _ **You're**_ **Peter Parker? You're Spider-Man?** Joey demanded, his hands shaking uncontrollably as he signed, making it even harder for Peter to read his jagged signs.

"...Yes…? Oh god- what did Wade say?!" Peter yelled mostly to himself.

"Goddammit! I told him not to tell you about me! I told him it would be a bad idea! You've been through so much already- and then he just- I don't mean to- Ugh! I'm going to kill that idiot when he wakes up! I swear I'll-!" Peter ranted to himself, waving his hands around and glaring at nothing before he stopped short.

Joey looked near frozen in time. He was staring up at Peter with an unreadable expression - one that read terrified but hopeful as if he were a child. His hands were still shaking, and Peter just barely registered that Joey was shaking his head back in forth in near disbelief.

"...Joey?" Peter said as he reached out toward Joey's hair to pet it in a comforting manner, only for Joey to grab onto Peter's wrist enough for Peter to wince and hear a faint cracking sound. Joey's nails dug deep into Peter's skin as the blonde boy finally let a few tears fall away. Joey opened his eyes some more to realize what it was he was doing, as if he wasn't aware that he was hurting Peter at first.

What made Peter really sick was when Joey forcefully slammed Peter's hand back on the table and, as if he'd completely forgotten about his own disability, mouthed an 'I'm sorry' that only came out as hitched breaths and high pitched cracking sounds that obviously must've hurt his throat.

Joey turned and bolted down the house with Peter quick to follow behind, ignoring the ache in his wrist only for a new ache to form in his head when Joey slammed the wooden door into his face and locked it. Peter gave up on trying to jiggle the door open after a while, his heart breaking when he heard soft hiccuping sounds that he knew all too well were coming from a sobbing Joey.

What the _fuck_ had Wade done to the poor kid?

[It's not funny at all is it? YOu're welcome. Have some more seriously damaged and Judgemental Joey with Panicking Peter. Read and Review please!]


End file.
